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by m463 391 days ago
You mean mass.

Otherwise I would buy seats for my personal helium balloons on either side of me.

3 comments

Are you at all concerned the airlines will remove the air from the cabin if you try this, just to emphasize that you’re not going to get a refund this way?

Anyway I’ll be across the aisle with hydrogen balloons paying less than you either way. Enjoy your flight!

I’ll be up in first class with my negative mass doppelgänger who travels with me so we both get a free flight.
I’ll ask the pilot how this is going to affect weight and balance to take my mind off the implication one of you is made out of antimatter.
> personal helium balloons

Not allowed because they're too big to be carry ons.

And I think that you may mean volume.. :-)
Mass and volume both count, in an aircraft, don't they? And many oversize humans present logistical and safety challenges:

- Taking up more than one seat with girth, needing a seatbelt extender.

- Fitting through narrow passages, tight turns, limited headroom

- An unconscious person may need to be lifted, and transported somehow

- Toilets and life vests and other safety equipment, rated for your "standard average man size"

- Total mass of passengers/cargo, and its distribution on the aircraft itself

Elevators in the US have a maximum weight and maximum occupancy rating.

Arguably, if obesity is a disability, then appeal to the Americans with Disability Act or similar regulations, but from a standpoint of safety and the common good, it does not seem unreasonable for airlines to charge extra to cover their expenses above.